


Day 3: Family

by GemmaRose



Series: CoraBelle Week [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cora Lives, CoraBell Week, Domestic, F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4748267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A typical evening in the Donquixote household.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 3: Family

“I’m home!” Bellemere called, shrugging off her coat and hanging it next to the three already on pegs on the wall. Her foot squeaked on something, and she glanced down to see a fourth windbreaker on the floor. Too small to belong to Law, and definitely not one of the girls’, which meant Sanji was over again. She picked it up, and put it back on the wall.

“Mom!” Nami came thundering down the stairs, and the pink-haired woman scooped her daughter up in a hug.

“Oof.” she huffed, setting the tiny redhead down. “You need to stop getting so big.”

Nami beamed proudly. “We were doing averages in math today, and I’m a whole inch taller than Sanji!”

“That’s only cuz girls grow faster.” the blonde came down the stairs slower, more carefully. “But boys grow more, and if I turn out like your dad I’m gonna be way taller!”

“Well I’m taller now.” Nami huffed, crossing her arms. “So there.”

Bellemere grinned, and placed a hand on both fifth-graders’ shoulders. “How about we take this into the kitchen, and you can show me how much homework you’ve gotten done.”

Both children groaned, and the woman smiled as she herded them up the narrow staircase which lead up into the house. Law had sprawled out across half the living room, textbooks stacked on one side and notebooks on the other, and Nojiko had claimed the small couch in a similar manner with a stapled packet of paper on her knees and an open book on the other cushion. Bellemere nudged Law’s legs out of the way with one foot as she passed, and received a grumble which passed for greeting recently.

“Hi mom.” Nojiko actually lifted her head from her homework and smiled. “Catch any bad guys today?”

Bellemere chuckled, and stepped over the coffee table to plant a kiss on her elder daughter’s forehead. “Not personally, but uncle Smokey caught two guys trying to break into a house.”

The blue-haired teen nodded, and Bellemere frowned slightly at the glittery blue ink swirls which covered both of Nojiko’s forearms. “Wash those off before dinner, okay?” she inclined her head, and the preteen groaned.

“I didn’t even draw on my hands this time.” she protested.

Bellemere planted a hand on her daughter’s head. “If you need to draw, do it in your notebook okay? It won’t smudge as much in there.”

Nojiko rolled her eyes, and looked back at her yellow-covered workbook. “Yes, mom.” she droned, and Bellemere sighed.

“Make sure your brother does the same, okay?”

“You can’t even see my arms.” Law protested, twisting his torso to sullenly glare at her.

“You still have to wash your hands before dinner.”

“When’ll that be, anyway?” the teen grumbled, turning back to his work.

“Under an hour.”

“Hey mom, what’s bigger, eleven times twelve or ten and a half times thirteen?” Nami called from the kitchen, and Bellemere patted Nojiko’s head. “Never mind.” the younger girl called again. Bellemere entered the kitchen, and Nami grinned at her. “Sanji’s really good at multiplying with decimals.”

“So, is math all you two have?” Bellemere ruffled her daughter’s hair, and Sanji shook his head.

“Nuh-uh. We already did social studies, and-”

“The science fair is coming up!” Nami interrupted the blond, bouncing in her seat. “I wanna do it about hurricanes this year.”

“It’s rude to interrupt.” Bellemere chided, glancing in the cupboard. Pasta and a can of mandarin oranges caught her eye, and she pulled them out to set on the counter. If they had some chicken…

“Can I help cook?” Sanji asked, and she could practically hear how his eyes were shining.

“Once you finish your homework, and call your dad so he knows you’re staying for dinner.” bingo, they had some grilled chicken strips in the freezer. And the bag had instructions for cooking from frozen.

“Where else would I be?”

“You know where the phone is.” Bellemere answered. Sanji and Nami were too young to understand the way parents worried, though Nojiko and Law seemed to have a decent grasp of the concept. “Why don’t you call now.”

“He’ll be busy.” Sanji whined. “Can’t I call him after dinner?”

“Leave a voicemail. He knows our number.”

“C’mon, Sanji.” Nami prodded, and Bellemere glanced over her shoulder to see her youngest was making a good effort at kicking her friend under the table. “It’s not like he can say no if you get voicemail.”

“Oh, right.” Sanji beamed. “Thanks for reminding me, Nami.” he pushed his chair back, and walked over to where the ancient corded landline hung on the wall between kitchen and living room. Sure enough, Sanji had to leave a voicemail, and Bellemere guided him back to the table to make him actually finish his math work before joining her at the stove. Dinner was well underway when a massive crash from the front door announced Rocinante’s return, and Nami was out of her seat in seconds. Bellemere tracked her youngest’s mad dash through the living room, and the laughter which followed heavy footsteps on the stairs was enough assurance Nami hadn’t slipped and fallen for her to turn back to the boiling pasta pot.

“I’m home.” the blond man announced as he reached the top of the stairs, Nami clinging to his back.

“It was that or a really awful burglar.” Law shot back, and Bellemere smiled as the children laughed.

“Welcome home, dear.” she set down the spoon and left the kitchen to give him a peck on the cheek. “Dinner’s in a few.” she turned her gaze to her kids. “Everyone wash up. Nami, Sanji, get your homework off the table so Dad can set it.”

“Yes, mom.” the pair of fifth-graders chorused, Sanji blushing slightly after he said it.

“I mean, yes aunt Bellemere.”

“Homework,” she pointed with a mock stern expression. “Off the table.”

Sanji nodded and rushed after Nami. Rocinante grinned, and drew her in for a careful kiss on the lips.

“Gross!” Nojiko cried.

“Go wash up and you won’t have to see it.” the blond smiled.

“Geez, you’re such a baby about mushy shit like that.” Law picked himself up from the floor, and Bellemere narrowed her eyes at him.

“Language, young man. Hands, wash, now.” she pointed to the bathroom, and her older two children started for it with a small argument already starting up. It would blow over by dinner, it always did, and Bellemere let her husband pull her in for another kiss.

“Nice to be home.” Rocinante murmured, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers once he pulled away.

Bellemere was just starting to relax minutely when a shrill jangling from the kitchen made her jump. It was quickly followed by Sanji calling “Got it!” and the screech of their stepstool being dragged over the cheap linoleum tile.

“C’mon.” she patted Rocinante’s chest, and stepped back. “The table won’t set itself.”


End file.
